Beta testing and microsoft software/hardware

[Alan]

Having been beta testing MS operating systems for a number of years I must
admit to continually being disappointed by the lack of compatibility with a
number of MS products including a number of very new ones. As an example, I
recently bought a Wireless Laser Mouse 6000, ok it did work with reduced
functionality on the native drivers (Intellipoint of course does not really
work with Vista) but then discovered the mouse disables the screensaver! A
week ago I bought the new Microsoft LifeCam VX-6000, a new product from MS
and the software is not compatible with Vista even under xp compatible mode!
I can understand older programs having problems but I would have thought
that MS would have made some effort to make their new products compatible.
Alan

 

[Guest]

Actually, they did make the drivers, they just haven't give the public access
to them. They are available to members of the technical beta, but they are
apparently waiting until final release to release the drivers.

LifeCam is available here:
https://connect.microsoft.com/windows/Downloads/DownloadDetails.aspx?DownloadID=3581

Intellipoint and Intellitype here:
https://connect.microsoft.com/windows/Downloads/DownloadDetails.aspx?DownloadID=3234

If you get an "access is denied" page, that means you will have to wait
until Microsoft makes them public.

And as you already stated:
"Screen saver may not be automatically triggered
With recent Microsoft wireless mouse or keyboard receivers (27Mhz - not
Bluetooth) the screen saver will not be automatically activated. Primarily
applies to the Premium and Ultimate SKUs
We are working on a solution for this problem"

 

[robw]

I have a Microsoft Fingerprint Reader I just bought _this_ _year_ which I'm
betting doesn't work with Vista (I'm not even going to try).

-Rob

 

[Alan]

Thanks for the info Robert. Whilst I have access to a number of beta sites
on Connect I could not get those. It just seems a bit odd that Microsoft
having managed to include so many hardware drivers in RC1 and RC2 that they
could not include these for their own hardware.
Alan

 

[Guest]

I wonder if my old but no so bad Wireless IntelliMouse Explorer 1.0A will be
fully supported. Its support was dropped somewhere after IntelliPoint 5.x
release so I have to stick with IP 4.12 drivers, the most recent
feature-complete version. Microsoft has always been strong with compatibility
with lots of old 3rd-party s...oftware, why can't they support their own
hardware?

P.S.: Looks like my reply has been removed the last time, so I'm posting a
self-censored version.

 

[jwardl]

I have a Microsoft Fingerprint Reader I just bought _this_ _year_ which I'm
betting doesn't work with Vista (I'm not even going to try).

-Rob

Hmmm... which finger will you be testing?